Folie à Deux
by the-vampire-act
Summary: H/R. Spencer's headaches become too much for Aaron to bare. He breaks down and searches for help from the best. Little does he know about Reid's past with House...
1. Folie a Deux

Folie à Deux

Aaron Hotchner watched as Spencer Reid curled up in a ball in the jet seat. He sighed in the realization that he had another headache, and he could tell by the way his hands covered his eyes that it was quickly turning into a migraine. Deciding not to intervene quite yet, Aaron leaned back in his seat and pretended not to care for a few minutes. Sooner or later he'd break down and go comfort his lover, but he'd try to give Spencer as much space as possible to himself.

"He's having them again?" Rossi asked quietly from his spot across from Aaron.

"He never stopped having headaches," Aaron frowned. He then turned his head to see if maybe Spencer had mercifully fallen to sleep, but looking back he saw he was still tossing and turning relentlessly. Seeing his petite frame squirm in his seat made Aaron's heart ache. He hated seeing him in so much pain….

"Just go, Aaron," Rossi sighed. "He needs you right now."

"No, not yet," Aaron replied, shaking his head. " I want to send out a few emails beforehand…" he trailed off. Aaron quickly tapped on his keyboard while hoping that his efforts wouldn't be wasted. He hit 'send' on the few email bodies he had opened before powering off the laptop and shutting the lid.

"Are you seriously going online for doctors' information?" Rossi smirked. "For all you know they could be UnSubs disguised as-"

"I was emailing Jack's teachers," Aaron scowled. "I missed teacher conference night and wanted to know if there was anything I needed to know."

"Right, of course," Rossi nodded with a smirk. "And now that that's done, go to your other 'boy'," he added. "He needs you more than they do right now…"

"I know," Aaron frowned from his seat. As he stood up from his seat he mumbled, "Wish me luck."

" 'Don't think you'll need it," Rossi breathed. He watched Aaron walk away and sit down opposite of his younger lover. Once he was sure Aaron wasn't paying attention to him he opened the laptop that he had left on and checked the 'sent' folder of Aaron's email. Sure enough he found the name of one teacher, but the other emails sent around that same time were all labeled 'doctor' and mentioned something about headaches. Sighing he exited out of the tab and closed the laptop again. Rossi then shut off his overhead light and tried to get some sleep.

Across the jet, Spencer hid in Aaron's chest as his headed pounded in a rhythmic pattern. The older profiler stroked Spencer's short hair in hopes of lulling him to sleep. The feeling of Spencer's sweater vest rubbing against his skin made Aaron realize that he was still tossing and turning, though, and Aaron finally gave up trying to help him sleep. He sat up in the seat and lowered Spencer's head to his chest again. "Just try to rest, Spencer. It'll pass…."

"I know," Spencer sighed. "I know."

~* Folie *~

"House, why are you calling me?" Spencer asked, annoyance evident in his voice. In the room opposite of Spencer, Aaron rose his eyebrows. Spencer rarely took any calls from friends, so whenever a name he wasn't sure he had heard before came up he made sure to pay close attention to the conversation. The breaks in the conversation due to the fact that Aaron could only hear one side of the conversation made it hard to follow, though. "I'm not lying," Spencer hissed, "and I don't need your help! Good bye- yes! I know you're a doctor…I already told you that I don't care! Good. _Bye!" _Spencer slammed his phone down and threw it on the couch. He then stormed out of the room until he saw Aaron.

"I'm going to take a shower," he suddenly announced.

"Okay," Aaron smiled back. "Dinner should be ready shortly after you're done," he added. With a nod as his only response, Spencer left Aaron- and his cell phone- alone.

Then, as Aaron stood up to finish up dinner, he silently wondered who 'House' was_. _

_~*Folie *~ _

~* Four Days before the Phone Call *~

When Spencer woke up with a headache the next morning Aaron finally broke down and logged himself on to the internet. Sighing he clicked the 'Google Sidebar' app and started searching for a doctor who could help his poor lover. His results varied tremendously, and doctors from Europe to Australia and Canada to Asia graced him with boasts of their tremendous successes. The profiler sighed in frustration of such varied results and instead decided to change his search phrase. Quickly he typed in 'migraine doctors in the United States'. When he clicked 'search', a sort of smile graced his lips. The first link seemed fairly promising, so he clicked in it. On the homepage was a few search options that he could chose from. He quickly typed in 'migraine' under the symptom bar, 'United States' for the country, and 'order doctors by specialty/patient cases.

When the results came up Aaron's jaw dropped. Staring in front of him as doctor number five out of twenty-two was Dr. Greg House. Immediately he knew that was the 'House' that Spencer had been talking to. As soon as he recognized the name he realized that his search for a doctor who could help had ended, but the problem that persisted now was getting Spencer to accept the help he needed. So Aaron wrote down the number and shut off the laptop. Standing up he walked over to where Spencer laid. He leaned against the doorframe as he let his mind debate over which decisions was more wrong: calling House and risk betraying Spencer's trust or not helping him out when he needed it the most. Aaron shook his head as he walked away from the room.

He had work to do, after all.


	2. Decisions, Decisions

Folie à Deux-Decisions, Decisions

Aaron Hotchner had found himself at a cross-roads. He wanted to help his 'friend', and he had just stumbled upon a way to do just that. Unfortunately his solution would also betray the trust of said 'friend' because of the way he had found it. Aaron hadn't been ease-dropping, and he hadn't gone around snooping for details after he had found his solution. It had all been a happy accident, Aaron tried to make himself believe. If it wasn't for the fact that it was helping his 'friend', Aaron was more than positive he wouldn't have used that unfair advantage to his discretion.

So when he dialed the number he had 'found' after 'overhearing' his 'friend' call that same number, Aaron didn't feel a bit guilty….Or so he kept telling himself.

"Have I changed your mind?" a husky voice on the other end smirked. "I knew you'd come around."

"Is this 'House'?" Aaron asked. He wanted to make sure he was talking to the right person before giving the details of why he was calling away to a stranger.

"….Is this Dr. Reid?" the man asked, obviously annoyed. "Oh wait, I was able to deduce that two seconds after hearing your voice. So who the hell are _you_?"

Aaron was taken aback by the man's tone of voice. The man obviously didn't know who he was, because if he did he doubted that the man would be talking to an FBI agent like that. Aaron was starting to doubt that he was in fact House, because he was positive that a doctor wouldn't have that sort of personality…

"So I'm assuming that right now you're thinking that I'm not Dr. House. If I am correct- which I am, by the way- then you are in fact wrong."

"I'm sorry, I think I have the wrong numb-"

"No, you have the correct number," the doctor sighed dramatically. "Because you're not telling me anything, I'm going to assume you're a nosy colleague who's desperately trying to help a friend out. I'll save you the time: Dr. Reid is refusing treatment. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have actual patients to attend to."

"I'm his boyfriend," Aaron cut in sharply, "and to be frank I don't give a damn what he's refusing." Aaron could practically hear 'House' grin viciously on the other side of the phone. He suddenly heard something like a pen being clicked and thrown on the table before the tapping of a cane could be heard. "See, if I had known he was gay I would've talked to you first. I find you get better results when-"

"When the person you're trying to help doesn't know it yet. I know," Aaron sighed. "We'll be there by Wednesday- be ready."

"I've been ready since last Monday. Where the hell have you been?" Before Aaron could respond, House hung up.

~* Folie *~

"Hey Spencer," Aaron whispered as his lover woke up. "How's your head?"

"A little better than yesterday," Spencer replied with a yawn. Tiredly he climbed onto Aaron's chest and laid his head back down. It was a position he had taken all-too much as of late, and Aaron recognized it as a position that shielded Spencer from his headaches. As Aaron pet Spencer's head he thought about how to word what he was about to say next. He knew that he couldn't mention Spencer getting help for his headaches without him closing up on him in defense, so he decided to start it differently.

"We have the rest of the week off," he said quietly with a smile.

"Oh? What are we going to do then?" Spencer asked as looked up at his lover.

"Actually, we're going on a road trip."

Spencer immediately rolled off of him and raised his eyebrows. "Is SSA Aaron Hotchner actually doing something spontaneous?" he smirked. He didn't wait for a reply as he rolled off of the bed and threw on his favorite purple shirt. Aaron smirked as he watched his lover; he could tell by the shirt he had chosen alone that Spencer was in a good mood. Aaron laughed as he too ran up to the closet and threw his arms around Spencer. "I'm glad you're excited," he said through kisses.

"When are we going?" Spencer asked with a foolish expression.

"How about now?"

~* Folie *~

Aaron hadn't expected Spencer to be so excited to be taking a road trip, but he wouldn't argue with the results. As long as it allowed him to get his lover the help he needed Aaron didn't care how he had to do it. As they drove off in the car one hundred and twenty minutes from home Spencer repositioned himself with the snacks they had bought and promptly opened the box of Swedish Fish. He reached over and threw one in Aaron's mouth, making him laugh in response. "I love those things," Aaron smirked. Spencer grinned back before picking the box up again and promptly shoved one in his mouth. Every other fish he picked up went in Aaron's mouth, though, so the box was gone twice as fast as either of them really wanted to. Once Aaron spotted a rest stop, though, he turned in and immediately parked the car. He ran toward the nearest vending machine and threw in a five-dollar bill. Smiling widely he pressed 'A-2, Quantity: 4' and watched the packs of Swedish Fish come flying out.

"Thank god," Spencer sighed in relief. Aaron just laughed in a reply.

"Come on," he prodded, "let's go back to the car and eat them."

~* Folie *~

Too many long hours later Aaron pulled up into the parking lot of the hotel he had rented. He reached over to the passenger seat and shook his younger lover awake. "Come on Spencer; we're here," he gently said, tussling Spencer from his sleep. The other agent moaned as he came to and gingerly moved up to a sitting position.

"Where exactly is here?" Spencer mumbled tiredly, obviously still half-asleep.

Aaron bit his lip; he half-hoped that when he said 'New Jersey' he wouldn't make the connection of why they were really there. If he didn't answer, though, Spencer would become just as suspicious and upset. Sighing, Aaron decided he had to tell him the truth. "We're in New Jersey," he slipped out.

"Okay," Spencer yawned. But soon enough realization dawned and Spencer whipped around to face Aaron. "What?"

"We're in New Jersey," he replied casually.

"Damn it," Spencer under his breath. "House talked to you, didn't he?"

"Yeah, I talked to House," Aaron nodded. It was the truth, but deep down Aaron knew the statement would leave Spencer to believe that House had contacted him, not the other way around. Right now he didn't give a damn, though. Spencer needed help, and that was exactly what he planned on giving him.

"I could just kill that insufferable, narcissistic…" Spencer let the sentence trail off as he jumped out of the car. Aaron, now alarmed, also threw himself out of the car. "Spencer! What are you doing?"

"Making a phone called," he glared as he whipped out his phone. Once he dialed the number he put speaker phone on and waited for it to start ringing.

"_Princeton-Plainsboro, how may I help you?" _

Spencer moved the phone closer to him and glared at it menacingly. "I would like to talk to Dr. House," he nearly hissed back.

"_Sorry sir, but he's off for the night. Perhaps you could call back tomo-" _

Spencer just hung the phone up, effectively cutting off the receptionist. As he pocketed the electronic he turned back to Aaron. "If my head didn't hurt right now, I would be furious with you too," he said calmly.

"You need help, Spencer," Aaron sighed. He spread his arms apart and waited for his lover to take them. Finally he hugged Spencer close as he waited for him to continue talking. The only reply he received, however, was a weak and desperate 'I know.'

So Aaron escorted Spencer inside the hotel and waited impatiently for the morning to come, because there was no more denying that Spencer needed help.


	3. Surprise, Surprise

**Folie à Deux- Surprise, Surprise **

"Spencer, wake up."

At first he wasn't sure that the voice was real, but as his shoulders were being shaken and his eyes slowly opened, he realized that it was in fact real. He finally allowed himself to sit up. Aaron immediately smiled back at him before he tried to pull Spencer to his feet.

"No," he whined. "Come back to bed with me!"

"Your appointment is in less than an hour. You have to get up," Aaron gently chided. Knowing that Reid still wasn't encouraged to get up he drew the blinds so that his lover would see the bright sun outside. It was a cruel move, he knew that, but it had to be done.

"Why should I have to go?" Spencer hissed as he started getting out of the bed. "I mean, you tricked me into doing this!" As he spoke, though, he was looking for something to change into. Aaron and Spencer both knew that he was going to see House if he liked it or not. As Spencer reached down to pick up his purple scarf Aaron wrapped his hands around his oh-so thin waist. "Don't try to play nice," Spencer glared. "I'm still pissed at you." Breaking free from the embrace Spencer huffed over to his suitcase to find a pair of pants.

"You're in pain," Aaron said quietly. "I want it to stop."

"And you think seeing House will help?" Spencer scoffed back. Once his pants were on his went back to the bed. Aaron immediately went to say something about it when Spencer cut him off. "He's an addict, Aaron. Vicodin is his vice."

"What did he do to you?" Aaron finally sighed. It was the only conclusion he could think of that was an even slightly a logical explanation as to why he seemingly hated House so much. Something obviously happened between them that made Spencer not want to see him. House had called Spencer asking him about his headaches, too, which told Hotch that, however Spencer knew House, they had remained in contact. How the headaches had came up he didn't know. Maybe Spencer had gone to see him about the schizophrenia scare he had had. It would explain why he knew about the migraines…

"What?" Spencer blinked. He suddenly stopped on his rant as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "I never- he never…" the younger profiler stuttered. "He didn't do anything to me."

"Then tell me how you know him," Aaron frowned. It didn't take a profiler to know he was lying, but the more important question was _why _he was lying. What did Spencer have to hide that he didn't want Aaron knowing about? Suddenly alarmed Aaron tried to keep the need to know what was going on down to a minimum. He didn't want to press too hard on Spencer, not now anyways.

"It doesn't matter," Spencer eventually sighed. Then, grabbing his messenger bag and pointing toward the door, he said, "Come on, let's go."

~* Folie *~

Dr. Gregory House smiled as the door to the Princeton-Plasboro Teaching Hospital opened. In came an obviously serious man who was trying to act casual and a more…_intellectual-_to put it nicely….man who came in on the serious man's left side. Immediately he recognized the odd couple as SSAs Dr. Spencer Reid and his newfound boy-toy Aaron Hotchner. 'Damn', House muttered to himself, 'if only looks could kill.'

"It's a pleasure to see you again, _Dr. Reid,"_ House greeted oh-so sarcastically. "So this is your boyfriend." It hadn't came out in the nice way one would greet a friend's new 'partner', but rather the snaky way an ex would tell the new girlfriend to piss off. That set Aaron a little over the edge, and he was suddenly thinking that Spencer was right about House after all.

"This is Aaron Hotchner, as I'm sure you already know by now," Spencer glared. "Can we just get this over with now?"

"What? Don't you wanna catch up?" House frowned with a feigned look of hurt. "I thought I meant more to you than just a business call…"

"I don't know about this," Aaron sighed. "Maybe we should-"

"Maybe you should shut the hell up and let me diagnose your boyfriend," House scoffed. Without waiting for a response the doctor started walking back toward the elevators, obviously expecting them to follow him.

"Thanks Aaron," Spencer mumbled angrily before storming off behind House. Aaron refused to be affected by his behavior, though, and just continued walking after him. At the elevator the three men stepped in and waited for the doors to close. Finally they were on House's floor and once more Aaron and Spencer followed House until they reached his office.

"This isn't what I expected," Aaron frowned.

"What did you expect then?" House countered.

"He's a diagnostician," Spencer explained once he saw the confused look on Aaron's face. "He works with a smaller team on specialized cases, which apparently now includes mine."

"Oh no," House shook his head with a grin. "You're all mine."

Aaron rubbed his forehead; he was beginning to see why Spencer was so angry that he was making him see him. "So wait a second- you mean this is going to be an under the table case?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean," House nodded. "I figured that the bureau wouldn't be too keen on knowing the results of whatever tests we run if they come back the way we think they will, right James Wilson?"

Spencer immediately recognized the name as House's trusty 'side kick', and he almost felt bad that the man's name was being used to run his own tests under. Wilson was a good man; how he ended up friends with House was a mystery to him.

Aaron was now regretting ever dragging Spencer out to New Jersey. Dr. House wasn't what he thought he'd be, and to be honest he doubted that he could even help Spencer. Suddenly Spencer took Aaron's hand, though, and just smiled up at him. Aaron's scowl disappeared immediately; Spencer had always had that effect on him…

"You're a profiler, Aaron," Spencer said softly. "I didn't want to come, but if you thought that he wouldn't help you wouldn't have made that phone call to him. I trust your instinct, and so should you."

The mixed signals Spencer was giving him were a bit more than confusing. Ever since they reached New Jersey he had told him repeatedly that they shouldn't see House. Now that they were in the hospital, however, Spencer was telling him to stay and trust his instincts. Whatever had happened between House and his boyfriend must not have been as bas as he thought it was- that, or House was that good of a doctor. For Spencer's sake he was hoping for c- all of the above.

Spencer frowned as he watched Aaron think over the remaining options. In his mind there was only one option left, though. Let House treat him. It wasn't like he was a bad doctor, and House technically never did anything wrong to him. The only thing House was guilty of, as far as Spencer was concerned, was being unable to let go of the fact that he chose Gideon over him….

"Do it," Aaron finally nodded at House.

"Well it's good to have your permission- makes the paperwork so much easier. Now excuse me, but doctor-patient confidentiality starts right about…." House then slammed his door shut and started to pull the blinds, "Now."

On the other side of the office Aaron Hotchner let out a sigh. He hoped to God that Spencer was right, because if House didn't find anything at all, he might just have to slap House….

Spencer wasn't surprised to find Wilson in House's office as well as a few dozen or so machines that were obviously going to be used for the tests.

"Good to see you again, Spencer," Wilson smiled falsely. Spencer could guess that he was being forced to help, and he was sure that it wouldn't be a guess, either.

"I'm sorry you were dragged into this," Spencer sighed. Wilson mumbled something, but Spencer wasn't able to hear it. By the smug smile on House's face, though, he was sure 'the doctor' had heard.

"So," House suddenly announced, "let's get started."

_~* Folie *~ _


	4. Hush, Hush

**The machines in the beginning of the chapter were gusstimated and will not be explained further as they were Googled. Forgive my medical mistakes. I also suggest reading my other House/CM fics because they all connect in some sort of way, though they all can be read alone….**

**Folie à Deux- Hush, Hush**

"So what are all these tests about?" Spencer Reid asked with a small frown. He had been in Houses' office less than twenty minutes and he had already be subjected to four of the seven machines in the room. Because Spencer had an IQ of 187, the ability to read 20,000 words per minute, and an eidetic memory he was also able to deduce that House would not answer the questions straight-forward, rather he would drawl it out and give him a smart-ass response. And, if one didn't know this about Spencer Reid, say one 'James Wilson', then one might be entitled to think he was just psychic.

"Well, you see, I plug them into that wall over there and hit a shiny, little button to get them to on. Then, when it's turned on, I run tests," came House's reply. Spencer just smirked. If House was right about one thing and one thing only it was his belief that people didn't really change.

Across the room Wilson clicked the monitor of a screen which held a picture of Dr. Reid's brain. "Everything appears normal," he sighed. Of course House went over and checked the screen himself before nodding his head and moving on to the next and last machine.

"How did you get all these in your office?" Spencer suddenly blurted out.

"Don't ask, don't tell," House mumbled distractedly. All of the usual suspects that caused migraines had been voted out, and now House was back to square one. "And apparently they were all useless," he added under his breath.

"They all came back clean-"

"You got the results that quick?" Spencer said at the same time as Wilson.

"Yes and yes," House replied. "The good news is it's not…_genetic_," House said with a knowing look at Spencer. The younger man had been working under the assumption that House had told Wilson about his family history with schizophrenia; apparently he was wrong, though. "The bad news is that we still have no clue what it is."

Spencer opened his mouth to say something, but he promptly closed it when he saw the look on House's face. Something had just occurred to him, that much was obvious to the young profiler.

"Get out," House suddenly said. His words were harsh, but there was an underline softness to it that put Spencer's nerves over the edge.

"I'm not done with you, House," Wilson sighed as he headed for the door. "Good to see you again, Dr. Reid," he added. "And good luck." Wilson had the mind to slam the door shut, but he was more than positive Dr. Reid still had a headache. His anger wasn't pointed at him- it was at House. Besides, he'd see House soon enough….Just as he went to walk to his office, Wilson's pager went off. Sighing he turned around and headed off to the cancer ward.

Inside the office House waited until he heard Wilson's footsteps creeping away before talking to Spencer. "So," he started as he hopped off the table he was sitting on and toward Spencer, "you're an FBI agent now…."

"Yeah, I have been for over seven years," Spencer glared. He had a feeling that House was either going to taunt him about not joining his medical practice or try to tell him all his problems were psychosomatic…

"And you see horrible things, right?"

"Every case," Spencer frowned. Where was he going with all this…?

"Death in the family lately?" House asked, his brows furrowing. It was all making sense now. All the symptoms were adding up. Now, the hardest part would be breaking the news to his 'patient' and his boyfriend.

Spencer paused for a moment before shaking his head. "Yeah," he said solemnly. "I suppose you could say that."

"So how long have you been depressed?"

~* Folie *~

When Dr. Wilson got to his wing of the hospital he just sighed. Sitting on a bench was no one other than Aaron Hotchner. He had seen the man come in with Dr. Reid when he first came in. Sighing he sat down next to him and waited for the profiler to start the conversation. Without any hesitation Hotch did exactly that. "So how is he?"

"He's seen better days," Wilson admitted. Lying to a profiler seemed be a dumb-ass move, so there really was no point in attempting to lie to him. "House is discussing the tests right now with him…."

"He hasn't told you the results?" Aaron frowned.

"No, no he hasn't," Wilson nodded, "but if you want we can go check on them," he offered.

"I'd like that.' Before Wilson could say anything else he was on his feet and waiting for Wilson to stand as well. Nodding Wilson did just that and lead Aaron out back to Reid's room.

~* Folie *~

Spencer just blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You're…_sad_. Anyone with a first grade education could see that. Every time you've come to this hospital before a book was under your arm or you were mentally playing a game of chess. I bet if I asked your little lover outside if you have been reading less, and if I asked that boy you played chess with in the park when I came to visit you I bet he'd say something similar….You haven't been sleeping well, your energy levels are low for the amount of coffee you inhale, you're thinner than usual-"

"And headaches that won't respond to treatment," Spencer sighed.

House could see that Spencer was filling in the blanks. He decided to keep quiet and let him finish it on his own. It was best that way; it always was…

"Sadness, loss of interest, insomnia, decrease of energy and appetite…." The list was rattled off without hesitation. He should have made the connection sooner. He should have been smart enough to diagnose himself with such a common illness….

"I'm prescribing you a pill," House suddenly said, "and you will take it. I know how terrified you are of medicine after your little spill with dilaudid, and I know that you feel you're not worth it, but you've always sold yourself short," he sighed. "If you won't take it for yourself, take it for Aaron."

House frowned as he saw Spencer blinking back tears. He chose not to comment on it, though. He was already pressing his luck as it was, and he had a feeling if he pissed Aaron off the profiler would have more than enough evidence to lock him away.

"I'll take the pill," Spencer sighed. "I-I suppose I'm glad to have an answer to the headaches…."

"They probably won't go away, but the pill should at least help maintain them to a minimum. Because your migraines are associated with the depression, chances are they'll get worse or better according to your stress levels, which, with everything that you've experienced lately, I can guess has been abnormally high." House studied Spencer as he waited for him to respond in some sort of way. When he didn't, though, he just gave the prescription to Spencer and threw his pad over on his desk.

"So do you regret it?" House suddenly asked.

"Regret what?" Spencer frowned. Of course he knew exactly what House was talking about, though. There was only one thing that he could even begin to regret that would be within House's ray of interest. In fact he had been expecting the answer, only forgetting that he had been expecting it after the word 'depression' was slipped from House's mind.

"Do you regret not joining my team over Gideon's team?" The question traveled through the empty air as Spencer nervously bit his lip. House stared straight at him, obviously expecting him to reply. "If you don't answer I'm going to assume 'yes'," he suddenly smirked. The smile that grew on Spencer's face in result of the words House had said was unexpected.

"Whatever makes you sleep better at night," he said as he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever makes _you _sleep better at night," House replied. "So you don't even regret it a little?"

"There are moments," Spencer started, "where I do wonder if I was better off working for you instead of Gideon, but then I think of Chase. I think of Foreman and Taub and 13 and everyone else whose worked with you. You helped them more than you could have ever helped me, because I'm too much like you." Spencer hopped down from his stool and started gathering his coat and his messenger bag, waiting for House to reply.

"You're nothing like me," he suddenly said.

Reid just scoffed and shook his head. "Yeah, hang out with me for a week and you wouldn't be saying that." The younger man then nodded toward his case file that was currently in House's hand. "It's…it's too bad the tests came back inconclusive."

"Yes, too bad indeed," House nodded. Although he was slightly shocked that he wasn't going to tell Aaron about the diagnosis, patient-doctor confidentially made him incapable of telling otherwise. Besides, it was Spencer Reid he was talking about. He wasn't like the other young people he knew; he was definitely different at the least….

"I'm sorry to have wasted your time because of Aaron. Maybe next time we'll meet under better circumstances." He then turned to the door and fingered the perscription he was in the process of stuffing in his pocket. "Thank you, House. Goodbye." The young man then walked out of the office, but House sighed and followed him out. "Dr. Reid!" he shouted. Spencer just sighed and stopped where he was. "I expect to see you and your boyfriend tonight."

"Where?" Spencer frowned.

"The usual." Then the doctor clamped his cane on the floor in the opposite direction and took off with a smile on his face. He wasn't done with Spencer.

No, not yet.


	5. Bravo, Bravo

**Sorry if it all seems not too believable, but this is fan fiction for one thing, and for another my medical knowledge only consists of Google and House MD reruns. **

**Folie à Deux- Bravo, Bravo**

The follow-up appointment had been scheduled without the patient's knowledge, or the hospital's. It wasn't taking place at the hospital, anyways, so why should they be informed? It could barely be considered a follow-up, actually, considering the initial appointment had been that same day. The doctor put on his suit anyways and grabbed his cane before offering himself a quick glance in his apartment mirror. Dinner was going to be interesting if he had to make it that way himself-

Roaring 'It's Raining Men' over and over again House finally reached into his pocket to grab his cell phone. It was Wilson, obviously, but what the hell did he want with him…? "What?"

"_Don't do it." _

"Don't do what?" House asked, not even feigning any type of confusion. "Oh wait, you mean don't go to dinner with SSA Aaron Hotchner and his depressed, younger partner for a secret follow-up? Yeah, it's a little too late for that."

"_House, is it really that hard for you to just leave someone alone? You don't know these people-" _

"I know 'these people' Wilson," House corrected.

"_Oh, yes, excuse me. You stalked this kid for years until he was finally ready for a career and did practically anything and everything to get him to join your team….but yet he still turned you down. Huh. You obviously know him like you're his father or something then." _

"Bad analogy," House shook his head. "His father left him as a kid."

"_Good analogy, then. You and his father both know next to nothing about him." _

"I'm going to hang up now," House plainly stated.

"_House-no!" _

But it was too late. House turned off his phone, stuffed it in his pocket, and made his way down to the porch of his apartment building. Something like a smile crossed his lips before he just shook his head and kept walking. It was going to be a good night.

~* Folie *~

Aaron and Spencer had been waiting two hours in the restaurant, but despite Aaron's insistence to leave, they were still sitting there in the slightly darkened room by themselves. Together they sat in silence at the place where Spencer had had lunch with Gideon while out on a 'test consult' to help prepare him for the BAU-and it also happened to be the place where he first met House.

"He doesn't seem like a stand-up guy, Spencer. Has it occurred to you that he might have stood us up?" Aaron frowned. The older man felt like shit as it was- taking his boyfriend out Jersey thinking that this 'top rated doctor' could magically cure him. It had been nothing but another bust, though, and now their trip home was delayed even more because they had to wait to see House for dinner.

"You don't know House," Spencer shook his head. "He's doing this on purpose," he added with a mumble. "When he does get here, though, apologize for getting here so late but comment that you're glad we did because of how late he was."

"So you want me to trick him into thinking we were just as late as he was?" Aaron blinked.

"It would be appreciated, yes."

"Sounds good to me," Aaron grinned. Spencer mimicked the facial expression before leaning forward to give him a kiss. "Hmm, maybe this won't be so bad after all. I'm just sorry that House couldn't help your headaches."

"That's okay," Spencer smiled falsely. "It's probably just stress anyways. I mean, with Prentiss, the budget cuts, the worries that I have about, well, you know….It's just now starting to get to me, you know?" He was lying through his teeth, but he was doing it fairly convincingly. Not feeling bad about lying made Spencer feel bad, but at the same time there were certain things that were better left unsaid. The depression would just cause Aaron to worry more, which in return would make Spencer feel worse…..

"Did you order yet?" someone spoke from above the pair. Both their eyes turned up at House as he sat down at the table. For a moment both profilers wondered if House had been listening to their conversation the whole time, but a waiter approaching from behind silenced any further speculation.

"Are we ready to order?" he asked politely.

"Yes," House nodded, "yes we are."

~* Folie *~

The night was growing old- just a little _too old_. Spencer and Aaron had been sitting down with House for over three hours now, and they were both starting to lose their patience. Conversations has varied from the BAU, the hospital, the weather, late night television, shitty-ass rap music, how much people suck, Spencer's headaches, and dozens of others stupid conversation. Both Spencer and House could tell the conversations were getting on Aaron's nerves and that he thought House had planned for that. But little did he know that House was trying to get Aaron to leave so he could talk to Spencer, something that hadn't gone unnoticed by Spencer.

"Why don't you call Rossi and tell him we might be late coming in tomorrow…?" Spencer suggested, his voice obviously hinting at 'get the hell out of here so the grown-ups can talk'.

"Right, of course," Aaron nodded with a sigh. They had two more days off- a fact Spencer was well aware of- but he was also aware that House wouldn't talk with him in the room. No further instructed was needed; Aaron left for the bathroom almost immediately. 'Maybe Jack's still up….'

"Now that Dead-Weight's out of the way….On to the juicy stuff," House smirked.

"This is about the…._headaches_, isn't it?" Spencer sighed.

"You know, I am a doctor, and as my patient whom I just diagnosed with depression, it's my legal obligation to 'help you' and schedule a follow-up-"

"There's not going to be a follow-up," Spencer glared.

"What do you think this is?" House countered. He then reached into his coat pocket and produced a neatly-folded packet. "Just take the papers- keeps the lawyers away, and who knows? It actually might help you." The older man tossed the papers at him and stood up. "Your first therapy session's Monday. Don't worry- I already told that lovely Penelope Garcia about it. She scheduled you off for the day and expects lunch with you to talk about 'your headaches'."

"You had no right-"

"As your doctor, I beg to differ," House cut in. "And you're welcome. Tell your boyfriend it was a pleasure to meet him and I hope to never see his miserable face ever again."

"I can't believe you scheduled an appointment without my permission. You would have had to forge my signature…." Spencer glared as he stood up. "I could sue you-"

"But you won't, because you know that this is best for you," House interrupted. "You're not a dumb FBI agent who drinks snooty little coffees by the gallon and eats donuts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You know depression isn't an easy 'oh here, take this pill and magically get better!' illness. It's a lifestyle until you finally get help and deal with it." Both House and Spencer silenced themselves when they saw Aaron walk back in the room. "She knows about the appointment," he added with a sigh. "Do you honestly think she'll let you not go?"

"Do you honestly think that she'll have to make me go? I said I was upset you made the appointment without my permission; I never said I wouldn't go, though." Spencer almost smirked. As Aaron walked toward the table House 'almost smirked' back. 'Hook, line, and sinker,' he thought to himself.

"It was nice to meet you, Aaron," House forced out. The sarcasm in his voice didn't go unnoticed.

"Yeah, same here," Aaron nearly glared back.

"It was nice seeing you again, Spencer. Until next time." Without another word, House walked out of the restaurant.

Aaron watched his lover as he fixed his gaze on House. Whatever had happened must've had the desired effect House was looking for, because the ' I'm superior and more powerful than you' look was just now fading from his features. Spencer had been caught off-guard, obviously, and he was more than positive that House had called them to dinner for that exact reason. Even though he wanted to pry, he knew doing so now would only send Spencer over the edge.

"I think," he said instead, "it's time to go."

The sound of Aaron's voice startled him at first; for a moment he had completely forgot he was there. He sighed as he calmed his nerves. "Yeah," Spencer nodded, "it's time to go."


	6. Mayday, Mayday

**Once more, technical talk was Googled. **

**Folie à Deux- Mayday, Mayday**

Aaron Hotchner wasn't shocked to wake up to an empty bed. The note strategically placed on top of a packed duffle bag wasn't a shocker, either. Aaron was more than positive that Spencer went back to see House, and he was more than positive that Spencer had gotten the diagnosis he knew they both secretly had seen coming-a _mental _diagnosis. Sure, Aaron wasn't one-hundred-percent sure he knew what type of mental 'illness' it was, but smart money wasn't on schizophrenia. Stress played a role in it, that much was obvious. Whatever happened after that was out of his control until Spencer opened up to him. Aaron shook the thoughts out of his head for the moment; he had stalled enough. Check-out was in two hours and he still hadn't packed up yet, so he quickly read the note- 'Went out to see House to finish paperwork; already packed but will be back in a few to help you pack up. Love, Spencer.'- and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower.

And, he admitted grimly to himself, he prepared himself for the silence that was almost ensured to plague him for the day.

~* Folie *~

"I'm expecting to see you again."

It hadn't been unexpected in the slightest, but it was still unnerving to here spoken out loud. Spencer Reid suddenly regretted agreeing to breakfast with House, but at the same time he knew that he had no other choice. He had just been diagnosed with depression….and given little to no information about anything related to it.

"You diagnosed me and prescribed the pill; I legally have to see you again," Spencer sighed.

"Technically that's only half true; you have to see a doctor again, but it doesn't have to be me…though it is preferred." House took a bite of his egg as Spencer glared up at him. "Right now, though, I'm assuming want to know why none of those DC doctors figured it out."

"It crossed my mind, yes," Spencer admitted.

"They weren't looking for it," House shrugged. "The knew you were an FBI agent, so they automatically assumed stress and didn't bother expanding on the issue." He paused to set his fork down; his egg tasted like salt. No longer having the appetite to finish it he turned his complete attention to Spencer. "They didn't ask the first question I would have asked if I were them."

"Oh?" Spencer said between sips of coffee. "And what would that be?"

" 'Good morning, Dr. Reid,' " House started in a faux British accent, " 'are you happy today?' You see, you came in with the fear that it was schizophrenia, so you told the doctors that you thought it was physical. Once they were in the mindset that it wasn't, though, and once they found out you were an FBI agent, they assumed you had just finished a rough case. It, unfortunately, happens a lot. Truth be told I think it would have happened again if your boyfriend hadn't had come to me."

"Because you know me, and you know about my past," Spencer inference, the dots connecting.

House nodded as pushed his plate closer to the edge of the table, signaling that he was done. "You're…._sad_. Any quack who watches Gery's Anatomy reruns could tell you that. But I've known you since you were twelve, when you started to transition from high school to college. I've seen you at your best and worse, and I can tell you that right now you're at a new low. I also have the advantage of knowing about the budget cuts at the BAU, Prentiss's death, and your sudden spike in gas mileage." Spencer was about to cut in when House held his hand up. "You took Aaron's car, which tells me he knows about that meetings. And don't try to say you weren't going to the meetings. You drove eight miles away from Aaron's house, and the only thing that is exactly eight miles from Aaron's house in any direction is where the addiction meetings were held."

"How would you know that? You live in New Jersey…" Spencer blinked.

"The left block of Aaron's house leads downtown, where I highly doubt he'd let you go to alone. Eight miles north is a traffic light, south is a hotel-casino, but to the right is the meeting building," House smiled. "And besides, I have Google Map. I knew where the locations are, but I guessed on the mileage. You took the bait, though, so joke's on you."

"Damn shame you didn't become a cop," Spencer almost smiled.

"Damn shame you didn't become a doctor," House countered. For a short moment they just stared at each other, neither of them really wanting to approach the subject left to address. Time was running short, though, and soon enough they realized they couldn't stall any longer. "Your type of depression matches most closely to Dysthymia, a more mild form of depression. Your symptoms fit because they're not as strong and noticeable as major depression symptoms, and given your circumstances it fit's the best. The pill should help reduce stress levels, which should help reduce headaches." House suddenly stopped and just let out a long, exasperated sighed. "But you already know all of this."

"Yeah," Spencer nodded, "I do."

So House grabbed a pen and the legal pad he had sat down on the table and motioned for Spencer to sign the remaining paperwork. When he finished signing, though, Spencer turned the pad over and scribbled a few things out. He passed it to House, who in returned stared at it blankly. "It's my phone number, apartment number, Aaron's number, and his house number with my email on the bottom of it. Now you don't have to sneak around to get a hold of us, and you don't have an excuse not to talk to us." Spencer stood up from his seat and choked out a smile. "It was nice seeing you again, House." Unlike the last time the words had been spoken, Spencer actually meant it, and House knew it too.

"Yeah," House nodded, "aside from the whole depression thing, anyways." House smirked a little, and he whipped his head up so that Spencer could see him better. "Folie à deux, Spencer. You and I could have made a great medical team…"

"Yeah, well, not as good as you and Wilson- or even you and your team." Spencer just smiled at House; it was time to go. He offered a small wave before pulling his messenger bag over his shoulder and readying himself for the ride back to the hotel. "Take care. I'll see you soon enough."

"Yeah, soon enough."

House watched Spencer walk away before standing up himself. His eyes made contact with the papers in front of him, and before he knew it he was pulling out his cell phone and copying down all the information. It was nice to have, he had to admit, like it had been nice to see Spencer again. The kid had been different than so many other people from his generation; he had always had an air to him that had immediately attracted House to him. But in the end Spencer had ended up where he needed to be, just like House had. Diagnosing him with depression had been hard to do, but at the same time it was relieving. At least now his headaches would be more controlled, and now he'd have an excuse to come back sooner.

The sound of his cell phone ringing made House phase away from his thoughts. Sighing the doctor stood up and reached for his cane. "Yeah, I'm on my way."

~* Foile *~

Aaron Hotchner's eyes snapped to the hotel door when he heard it slam open and close. A smile graced his lips at the sight of Spencer, and he automatically abandoned his almost packed bag to give him a quick kiss. "How'd it go?" he asked softly.

"It went okay," Spencer nodded. "Better than I thought it would, anyways."

"That's good," Aaron smiled. "Checkout's in a couple of minutes. Once I get my toothbrush and shampoo packed I'll be ready to go." Spencer only nodded before wordlessly going over to get his own duffle bag. By the time he reached it Aaron had finally finished zipping his bag. The couple exchanged a loving look before sighing. "I'm glad you're okay," Aaron finally said. It was confirmation that Aaron did in fact know he had been 'diagnosed', but whether Aaron knew it was depression or not was still a mystery to Spencer. "Yeah, me too," he replied.

Then, they walked out of the door and let slam shut behind them.

~* Folie * ~

**A/N: Looks like one more after this. Thanks for reading!**


	7. There, There

**Folie à Deux- There, There**

They were finally back at Quantico. Aaron turned to his right to see his lover still sleeping, though. A small smile graced his lips at the sight. It was nice seeing him seemingly content compared to seeing him with extreme migraines. Whatever House had told to him was worth all the aggravation that dealing with him had caused. Mentally shaking himself away from his thoughts he reached over the seat and gently placed a kiss on Spencer's lips. Immediately the thin man's lips twitched up into a smile. He was awake.

"Hey," Spencer grinned devilishly.

"Hey yourself." Aaron couldn't help but chuckle; he missed being 'playful' with Spencer. "We're home," he whispered.

"We are?" At first he looked confused, but as he sat up and started looking outside his window, he saw that they were in fact parked outside of the Hotchner Household. "Huh, when did that happen?"

"A few minutes ago," Aaron shrugged. "We should go inside now. I want to sleep with my boyfriend in my bed in my house."

"How alpha-male of you," Spencer gasped, feigning outrage. The thought was pleasant-sounding, though, and he found himself longing for a better night's sleep on an actual mattress. Quickly Aaron and Spencer waddled out of the car with duffel bags strewn over their shoulder. The couple's legs were as heavy as bricks and made the short walk to the front porch seem ten-times longer than it normally was. Aaron fumbled with the key for a minute before the door surrendered and finally opened. They then threw their stuff on the ground and tripped their way up the stairs and into the bathroom. Only when they reached the room did Spencer realize what time it was- 11:43pm. Yeah, it was time for bed.

"Come on," Aaron huffed as he threw himself down on the bed. He patted the nice, silk sheets before Spencer smiled and gave in to temptation. As soon as his head hit the pillow, however, his eyes immediately closed and his brain shut down.

He had fallen to sleep.

~* Folie *~

The next morning Spencer woke up to a warm bed. Aaron had his arm wrapped his lover's too-thin waist with a silly grin strewed across his face. He had slept better than he ever had before last night, and waking up to Spencer made it just that much better. The couple glanced up at the clock panted on the wall of the bedroom to discover it was already 10:11am. A soft frown softened on Spencer's face before he sighed and reluctantly straightened up on the bed.

"We should get ready," Aaron said.

"For what?"

"Lunch at Dave's house," Aaron replied. He was unsure if Spencer would react well or horribly to the news. Fortunately, Spencer smiled a bit and nodded his head.

"Good, is the team going to be there?"

"Uh….Yeah, I think so," Aaron nodded as he struggled with his pant leg. "I mean, they were invited, but I'm not sure if they're all coming."

"I hope they do," Spencer admitted. "I miss them." He straightened his shirt and did the buttons up as neatly as he could.

"It would be nice to see them again," Aaron nodded.

The two FBI agents finished getting dressed and quickly got prepared for the day. They talked over a quick cup of coffee before Aaron looked at the clock and sighed. "It's time for us to get going."

"Alright," Spencer nodded. "This should be fun." And he meant it. Ever since House had told him that Garcia knew about his depression he had been anxious to see her. He wouldn't mind seeing the rest of the team, either.

"I hope you're right," Aaron sighed.

~* Folie *~

"So how did it go?"

It was an obvious question with and obvious answer, but you couldn't blame Dr. James Wilson for asking it. His 'friend' had always been a mysterious character, and the expected quickly became the unexpected whenever he was involved.

"It went fine." It wasn't a lie, really, it just wasn't the whole truth. "When the boyfriend left for the bathroom we talked about the depression and a follow-up, and I told him that his first appointment was Monday. Oh, and just so he has more motivation to go, I told one of his colleague about the depression too."

"Smart move," Wilson grumbled. "He seems just as stubborn as you. At least if someone told me or Cuddy about an appointment we'd trick you into going- and looking back I'm pretty sure we have," he almost smirked.

"Lunch time," House suddenly said. Immediately the doctor stood from his seat and headed to the door. "Wanna come? You're buying."

"Sure, I'd love to," Wilson sighed, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Where to?"

~* Folie *~

And it had been fun.

Rossi had grilled all the food to perfection, and JJ and Garcia's sweet treats were to die for. All seemed happy and frilly in the little family of theirs, though Garcia would throw a smile Spencer's way a bit more than usual. That was a comfort to him. It proved that she did know, but that she also wasn't going to press it in front of the others. She'd keep it a secret as long as he would.

After a while the light in the sky became only a sliver of moonshine magnified in brightness by the pitch-black color surrounding it. Only then did the team part ways. After the shitty and emotional days Aaron and Spencer had had lately the 'happy ending' was more than appreciated, and they almost felt spoiled by how pleasant the entire day had been.

That night, after picking Jack up from his little 'sleepover', the couple had decided to indulge the spoiling mood with a late night movie with popcorn and candy with Jack. The child was more than happy to oblige, but halfway through the animated movie he fell to sleep. And so had Aaron. Spencer smiled at the sight, silently cheering that he had stayed up longer than Aaron this time. He too was tired, though, and decided to turn off the movie and join the others. As soon as his head hit the coach, he was out.

Yeah, it had been a good day.

~* Folie *~

"So tell me, House, what is so special about this kid?"

After finding a seat and ordering their meals at the small 'mom and pop' diner, the duo had quickly jumped into the topic again with no hesitation. Of course Wilson wasn't going to let the subject go- House didn't like people, but he seemed to be quite fond of Reid….

"He would've been a great medical doctor," House grumbled. He knew that Wilson wouldn't leave it at that, though-he never did-so he continued before Wilson could beat him to the punch line. "I met him when SSA Jason Gideon took him out on a case they had in Jersey. He wasn't even sixteen at the time."

"Wait, _the _Jason Gideon?" Wilson blinked. "FBI profiler Jason Gideon?"

"Yeah," House nodded. "And I knew that at the time, too. After the case Gideon took him out for a late dinner at a diner I just so happened to be at. Gideon doesn't take people in like that unless they're something special, and Dr. Reid certainly _is _special." House paused in his dialogue to take his food from the waiter. Wilson said a quick and quiet 'thank you' as he was given his. Once their drinks were placed on the table and the waiter took off, House picked up his fork and started eating.

"You were saying?" Wilson ventured.

"IQ of 187, able to read 20,000 words per minute, eidetic memory- he's a genius," House said through bites of food. "And I wanted him."

"House wants what House can't have," Wilson sighed, shaking his head. "I can see why you would want him, but did you honestly think he'd drop Jason Gideon for you?"

"No," House admitted, "but I thought he might do it for his mother." Wilson stared blankly at House, obviously having no clue as to what he meant by that. "She's schizophrenic. That's the first thing he asked me to test him for."

"So you were hoping that he would join the med field to help his mom?" Wilson asked, rhetorically of course. "Guilt trick much?"

"It was," House nodded, "but it didn't work."

"Good." Wilson picked up his sandwich and took a big bite out of it. House might have been interested in Reid, but it would have never worked out. Reid knew House too well in the sense that they were too much alike. Wilson knew that not because he knew Reid, but because he knew House. His friend had saw that quality in Reid that reminded him of himself, and he immediately ran for it. House only got along with House, so it made sense to Wilson to infer that Reid was just like him.

"You're right, you know," House said eventually, breaking the silence. "It wouldn't have worked out."

"I'm glad you realize that," Wilson nodded, choosing and saying his words cautiously. He expected House to go on, but he was only slightly shocked when the older doctor stuffed his mouth with food instead. The conversation was dying, and House was closing up on him again. Wilson knew he couldn't pry anymore, though, so he just sighed and threw down the bite of his sandwich. House wiped his chin and reached for cane, an obvious signal that they were leaving. The pair walked out of the door and down to Wilson's car in a comfortable silence- well, at least for a few minutes.

"He'll be back," House suddenly said, turning his head to Wilson. "And not just for an appointment."

"What makes you say that?"

A small smile pressed at the edges of House's lips, and as he started off walking again, he said, "Folie à deux."

Wilson smiled as he watched his friend walk past him. Eventually he just shook his head and started off after him. 'Right,' he thought in his head as he finally caught off, 'Folie à deux.'

**The End.**

**A/N: Check out my profile page for future story summaries. Thanks for reading everyone!**


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